Mary Lynn - Totally Tempting

She grinned at him. “You may not feel so grateful after I drag you through a few stores.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

As a general rule, Dean disliked shopping, but then he’d never before gone on a spree with Jodie Cameron. They wandered through one of the malls and listened while groups of the locals played ukuleles and serenaded the shoppers.

“I used to play one of those when I was a kid,” she confided as they stood and listened.

“Were you any good?”

“Well, I won’t go so far as to say that, but I learned three or four basic chords that worked for most songs. What I lacked in talent I made up for in enthusiasm.” She looked up at him and laughed, wrinkling her nose.

She was adorable.

“You’ll have to play for me sometime,” he said.

“Oooh, nooo, I don’t think so. I haven’t touched one in years. I don’t know what happened to the one I had.”

“Then we’ll add that to our shopping list. One ukulele for you to serenade me with each evening. There are all kinds of working vacations. Who knows? You may launch a new career.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking,” she replied ominously before she ruined the effect with a chuckle.

Dean followed Jodie in and out of various stores, in awe of her shopping talents. She knew immediately whether something would work for him and wasted no time looking at the rest.

She finally sent him back to a dressing room to try on several of the items she’d chosen. While she waited, Jodie wandered over to the gift-shop section of the store. She cheerfully bought gifts for everyone in the family as well as several of her friends.

She’d just paid for them when she saw Dean come out wearing a pair of shorts that fit him like a glove and a short-sleeved shirt with a tropical print.

“Wow. You look gorgeous,” she said without thinking. When he turned an interesting shade of red, she realized what she’d said. “Oh! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“Oh, no. Don’t apologize. You’ve just made my day. I don’t believe anyone has every applied that word to me.”

“Turn around,” she said, still feeling a little awkward.

She checked the fit of the shirt across his shoulders and tried to ignore the way the shorts curved over his muscular butt. “You’ll do,” she said in a croak. Jodie cleared her throat. “What about the others? Did you like them?”

“Yeah. I’m getting all three shorts and a few extra shirts.” He glanced down at his bare feet. “I, uh, didn’t think my black socks and shoes went with the outfit.”

“Good thinking. It just so happens the shoe department is right over there. Let’s see what size you are and we’ll get you fixed up right away.”

By the time they reached the condo it was late afternoon and both of them had their arms full of packages. Once inside, they dumped them in the middle of the floor.

“I think we bought out the stores,” he said, staring at the pile in wonderment.

“I still can’t believe you actually bought a ukulele. You must be a glutton for punishment.”

“How can you be in Hawaii and not want to play some of their songs? Now you have the songbook to help you.”

“Uh-huh,” Jodie replied, sounding skeptical. She looked around. “All right. Let’s sort them out.”

“What did you sneak off and buy while I was trying on shoes?” Dean asked, sorting through and picking out his purchases.

“A dress to wear for the luau tonight. I thought as long as you’re going native, I might as well join you.”

They carried the packages and sacks to their respective bedrooms. Before going into hers, Jodie looked at him and said, “I’m going to need a nap if I’m going to stay up late tonight.”

“I was thinking along the same lines. I’ll set my alarm to ring in a couple of hours.”

“Thanks.”

Once inside her room, Jodie leaned against the closed door, dropping her packages. What in the world was wrong with her! She felt as though scales had dropped from her eyes. How could she ever have thought Dean wasn’t attractive? Maybe it was the environment and seeing him away from the business. He seemed so earnest about learning how to vacation. She wondered if he’d ever done anything like this before. How sad if he hadn’t.

What bothered her was the amused affection she’d felt for him all afternoon as they’d looked at clothes. When she’d run her hands across his shoulders, she’d felt the ripple of muscle beneath her fingers and had a sudden longing to continue touching him.

Without a doubt, she was in trouble. They’d been gone two days, and here she was getting all tingly whenever she looked at him.

Of course, she wasn’t going to do anything about it. That would be too foolish to consider. But there was no law against looking—if she could keep herself from doing something obvious, like drooling.

His wristwatch alarm woke Dean and he was surprised how soundly he’d slept. He sat on the side of the bed and looked out the sliding glass doors. The sky was turning to a deep blue as the day faded. Checking his watch again, he went down the hallway and knocked on Jodie’s door.

There was no response.

Finally he opened the door and saw her sound asleep, a cover thrown over her.

“Jodie?”

No answer.

He walked over to the bed. “Jodie, it’s time to wake up.”

“’Kay,” she mumbled into the pillow without moving.

Giving in to temptation, he turned on the radio on her night table and turned up the volume, which certainly did the trick. She jerked up on all fours and looked all around in alarm.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, trying not to smile.

She sat back on her heels. “Oh. Guess I should have warned you. I’m a sound sleeper.”

“I gathered that. I’ll let you get ready and meet you in the living room.”

“Are you going to wear your new clothes?”

“Absolutely,” he said and removed himself from the room.

“Wow,” she said to him when she joined him later. “You’ve definitely gone native.”

“When in Rome…” he said with a shrug, trying not to stare.

She wore a tropical print with a sea-blue background. It looked to be wrapped around her, revealing her shapely shoulders and hugging her delectable body. There was little evidence of the secretary tonight.

“What do you think?” she asked and slowly turned in a circle.

He swallowed. “Looks good. Fits nicely.”

She laughed. “Actually it’s a wrap. The clerk showed me how to put it on. I’m wearing an honest-to-goodness sarong.”

That’s when he knew he was in serious trouble.

She walked toward him. “I also bought this shell necklace to go with it.” She took his arm. “This is going to be so much fun, I just know it.”

He silently agreed—if he could survive the evening without grabbing her and kissing her senseless.

* * *

Jodie decided that the luau was everything she’d dreamed about and more. Foods—some she liked better than others—and mai tais, a drink she’d never had before and found delicious, all added to the occasion. The native dances called to her. She had no idea how the women moved their hips so rapidly to the beat of the drums.

It was the drums that kept her pulse throbbing. She glanced at Dean beside her, who seemed to be enjoying himself and the entertainment. She glanced back at the young women. They really were something. Every man there watched them with avid eyes.

She leaned against his shoulder and gave him a slight nudge. “Think you could dance and play the drums like that?”

He glanced at her. “I wouldn’t attempt to try. Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, yes.”